The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-07-08
A BRAVE BOY.
he Could Not Be Coaxed Nor Ridiculed
Into Wrong Doing.

~ OOutO wv ne COd4e0 Nor RidiCuled
Into Wrong Doing.
like to read of heroes. ike TO see
men who have done heroic deeds.
feel strengthened by thinking of
what they have done. 1t acts as a
tonic to ones moral nature.
Not long since l saw a hero; l was
witness of his brave deed, and have felt
a warm glow at my heart hundred
times since at the thought of it. But
the deed of bravery was one the pa
pers said nothing about. They would
not have considered it worth mention
ing. | suppose; but | do, and am GO
ing to write it down to help others who
may be tempted as this boy was. For
my hero was only boy; but there is
the making of a strong man in him.
1t happened in this way: was walk
ing down the street, and stopped in
front of saloon to talk with a friend.
AS we stood there two boys came along.
Come in and have something 10
drink" said one of them.
THANK YOU, was the reply '.but
never drink"
"Oh, Temperance are you?" said the
other. in tone that had a suspicion of
a sneer in it.
Eyes" answered the boy bravely; Il
do not believe in drinking liquor"
"Well you needn't drink liquor if
you do not want to-" said his COM
panion, ''take some lemonade.
Not in saloon," was the others
reply.
"Why not?" asked his friend. at
won't make you drunk because they
sell whisky over the same bar, will itp''
81 don't suppose it would" was the
reply. "But saloons are bad places,
and 1 do not believe in patronizing
them.
"What moral young fellow you
arer' said his friend, with contempt in
his words. ''Do you mean to preach
when you get to be man?"
''No, 1 do not expect to- was the
reply, ''but l intend to make mae of
myself; and never knew fellow to
amount to much who got into the hab-
it of frequenting saloons"
II have not asked you to hang about
saloons have I?" demanded his friend,
agrily. Zone would think from what
you say that l asked you to get
drunk"
'You did not ask me to get drunk"
was the reply, "but you have asked mo
to take the first step in that direction.
If drank now would probably drink
again. How long would it be before
| got the habit formed of drinking
liquor?n
Some other young fellows had come
up by this time, and the one who had
invited his friend to drink turned to
them and said:
''You have come just in time to hear
Temperance lecture. Go on, Bob;
may be you can convert these chaps
Then they laughed. But Bob did not
get angrw. He looked them bravely
in the face and said:
81 suppose you think am soft be-
cause | will not drink. know you
think am foolish because | refused to
90 into the saloon and have a glass of
lemonade; but do not, and am not
afraid to stand up for what think is
right. If you want to drink you will
do it, I suppose, in spite of any thing 1
can say against it, but you can not
coax or laugh me into doing it. 1
want to have my own respect, and 1
shouldn't have it if l drank, for do
not believe it is right to drink whisky.
You think, l suppose, that l am
coward in not drinking, but think 1
should prove myself coward in doing
it."
Was not glad to hear the boy say
thatP l could not help going to him
and telling him so.
''Thank YOU" said he, looking
pleased at what 1 said II mean to be
a man, and should not be if 1 got to
drinking"
He was right God bless the young
hero. l wish there were thousands
more like him. lille Lily.
~